Mia stared at the chest, trying to catch her breath. In an instant the realization kicked in, if she fails, she'll die. The thought terrified her, and made her shudder.

"Alright, I can do this". She paused, "to think that this'd be happening so fast, it makes me wonder if there's something else going on..." She pondered the thought but disregarded it. Mia had a sense that they were under a time crunch, as well as the fact that Alli had gone through a lot to do this for her.

She looked around, behind her was Alli, the Captain, and Hikaru, patiently waiting for her to begin. Mia then looked forward, Atchi stood proudly, as if this was another ordinary day, a wide smile across her face. She then turned her head and glanced back at Suzatchi, who had a nervous look.

She took a deep breath, bent down, and stretched out her hand. Mia edged closer and closer to the chest, her heart beating like a drum with each inch.

Right before touching it, from the corner of her eye she saw a shine, a blade? No, an arrow!

As Mia was edging towards the chest Alli had pulled out her blutklinge, which was a bow. Which she thought was rather odd for a weapon that you'd assume to always be a blade.

"Halt time; World eating serpent!"

Mia heard Alli scream in the background and in mid flight the arrow transformed. Once a simple arrow was now a serpent flying through the air. Mia paused and watched it, curiously. The serpent continued its path forward, and slithered across the air. Within seconds It stopped and shaped itself into a cubic structure around her, much like a cage with no bars.

She looked around, it looked as if the serpent trapped her in. Mia could only assume that it was part of the ritual.

"I'm not gonna die. I'm not gonna die. I'm not gonna die." She chanted these words as she moved. She was now within one final inch, so close to her future.

The five onlookers thought in unison, "you can do this".

Click!

She reached her hand in, and with one final gulp, she touched it.

Mia's head shot back, her eyes rolled back, leaving the whites of her eyes visible.

It had begun.

...

OoHAAAWW!

Mia gasped as her eyes opened. She looked around, it was the same place as before, blue skies and the ground was the ocean.

"Same old place I guess".

A voice appeared, "Mia, you've come".

She turned around, it was her, the girl with beautiful brown hair. She walked towards Mia, "I told you before that you'd have an important challenge. I hope you're prepared Mia".

"Alli said I'd have to fight something, but I don't see anyone but you..." She paused, realising it immediately. Mia looked around, "I can't... You haven't done anything to me".

"Mia, listen closely. This world is cruel, you'll find that very apparent, so you must fight, you must take every opportunity given to you. Mia, you're some who always had nothing, now is the time to take everything. Don't worry though I won't die".

The girl smiled, "I am Nishi Elypsis, I am a part of yo-"

"Oh shut up already", a voice cut her off, this one more masculine.

Now that Mia thought about it, there was another here before, a shadowy figure sitting alone.

"You talk so much, the girl came here to learn to fight right? That's all she needs. Not our names, not our origin, none of that shit". The voice sounded annoyed, and gave off an antagonistic tone.

Mia tried to pinpoint its location but it seemed to be moving around. Suddenly, a burst of dark smoke formed beside Nishi and a man came through. She looked at him, a look of discomfort shown on her face.

The man stood there with an annoyed expression, though you'd barely be able to tell. He stood naked with pale white skin, the entirety of his body showing. The only distinct thing differentiating him from a human was his lack of genitals. He stared at Mia coldly with thick black eyes, measuring her with a disinterested look. Another odd attribute she noticed was his hair, it was like hers, but the opposite. Where Mia had black and white hair he has white and black. His whole energy was ominous, she thought to herself, "Who is he? Or rather... What is he?"

"Nishi, if all you're gonna do is yap, then we won't get anywhere. I'm going to be pissed if the girl dies with us along with her". He looked at Nishi as he talked, disregarding Mia entirely.

With his head arched to the side he turned to Mia and took a step. In his hand he formed a weapon, it was silver and looked like a greatsword. Mia instantly recognized it as she's seen its shape many times in the shopping district back in Ako village. The sword was a zweihander. A long greatsword from an eastern country far away from the country of Azael. She noted its extra protrusions across the blade.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Girl, aren't you going to use it?"

"Pick wha-" She looked down, and in her hand was the same sword. "How di-"

"Does it matter?" He lunged forwards, holding the sword above his head while preparing to strike.

Mia looked up, her mind raced on what to do. Could she defeat him? She's never trained with a sword or even held one before. Her thoughts were frantic, for now all she could do was one thing. Dodge.

Mia barely dodged his slam by mere inches. As his blade hit the ground he stared at her, "what're you dodging for girl? You think that'll defeat me?" He shot back up and lunged again, this time going for a swipe, and yet again Mia dodged it.

For minutes his attacks never connected once, and Mia never attacked in retaliation.

She thought to herself, "how do I keep dodging these, and how am I not out of breath". For some reason she had the skills to dodge his every attack, but with each one of his attacks the malice and blood lust grew stronger.

"Come on girl, attack me! Don't you want to get revenge for your friend? Don't you want to fight? Or was that all just talk!" He berated her to goad her into attacking.

"Dammit, why can't I go for it?" She looked down, her hands were shaking, she could barely keep a grip on her sword. What was happening? Before now she was prepared to do what it takes. Before now she was ready to get strong, why was she hesitating?

"Fear... You're wondering why you can't attack me right? It's fear, you're afraid to cut, you're afraid to get cut. How do you expect to do anything with such pathetic resolve". He stood straight and pointed his sword at her, "If this is all you have then I should kill you now. If the you here dies, then the body will be free for me to use". A gruesome smile crept on his face, his eyes squinting with delight.

In the back Nishi watched intently, not making a peep. "You can do it Mia, It's too bad that he'd be your opponent but I guess it's better sooner than later. Mia, you have to decide soon, or else it'll be too late", she thought.

"Heh".

"You're right for one part, My resolve is pretty crappy right now, but you're wrong on something else. It's normal to be afraid of cutting or being cut, or killing and being killed. It's the human condition to have these feelings, but I think I have a solution. This whole time I've been thinking of why I feel this or why I can do that. Bah! All of it is irrelevant. Listen, I don't know who or what you are, but right now none of that matters. Ah, the fix to this problem is easy, if I have such weak emotions then I'll just throw them away. I'll get cut when I feel like getting cut, and I'll die when I feel like dying". She tossed her head to the side, staring at him with the same look he gave her.

Mia closed her eyes, throwing away everything she deemed irrelevant, and opened them, this time they had a different emotion in them.

"I like that look. Girl, you're become somewhat more tolerable".

"As you said before, no talking, only fighting".

She lunged forward, with her sword in her right hand and a malevolent look on her face.

"Yes girl that's it". Following her lead he lunged as well.

They both grew closer and closer to each other, both with the intent to kill.

SHIIIIIINGchbbbbluh!

She ended it in an instant. With an instantaneous whirlwind of slashes she severed his body into several pieces. Splashes of blood spurted everywhere and dyed the watery ground beneath him.

Blegh!

He slowly fell forwards, SPLASH! Now lying on the ground and looking to his side, "Ah, I knew this would happen". His eyes looked back to Mia who was standing behind him, blood dripped from the end of her blade.

"Now listen girl, if you get weak even for a second I'll kill you. I'll take everything you have".

She looked back, "I don't want to hear that from lumps of flesh on the ground. Close your eyes and die like a good little boy".

She turned back around to see Nishi standing in front of her, "Mia you did it, maybe not in the way I'd have but nonetheless you did it. That blade you're holding is your blutklinge, it will serve you well throughout your future battles... Mia, not only your blade will help you but we will as well".

"We? He's practically at death's door".

"He'll be fine, He's taken the worst beatings in the past".

"You should go now Mia, go and look in a mirror, I'm sure you'll be surprised by what you see".

Mia looked back at the lumps of meat that were her opponent.

"I see".

She closed her eyes and disappeared from the watery world".

"You didn't have to be that tough on her you know".

"Whatever, you sure as hell weren't gonna do it so I had to". The pools of blood around him gradually started receding. From his body many tooth-like protrusions sprouted from his wounds and bloody threads began pulling his limbs back together.

"Either way the girl will be fine, unlike any other huntsmen she has us, and unlike most huntsmen she has the rage and potential to grow incredibly". He stood up and turned to Nishi, "I'm quite intrigued to see how she grows".

"Are you now?"

"Rather odd for you to be interested in something other than killing humans".

He looked at her with an annoyed expression, "I haven't done that in a long time, fourteen years to be exact".

–

Mia's eyes opened wide, still sitting on the training stage. She looked down at the chest, or what was the chest, being with her under Alli's blutklinge aged it turned to dust.

Mia looked back at everyone, they were standing in the same spots, it seems they hadn't even moved, not even the twins had moved either.

She grasped her knees as she slowly got to her feet, she felt worn out after everything that had transpired.

"Ugh, why do I feel heavy". Now standing, she paused... and looked down once again...

"Um... What?" she was confused because... Just as Alli had said that time would affect her differently, she had aged. Mia felt it in her mind, "five years. I've aged five years, that's why my breasts are bigger(c cup)". Her uniform which was too large earlier now fit her comfortably, her curves and assets were now held perfectly by her clothing. She truly had a spectacular figure, one that'd get the attention of anyone.

Now it'd be accurate to not call her a girl, but to call her a woman.

She stood there speechless, "I'm eighteen... I ca- I ju-", she couldn't even think properly.

One thing was certain, one simple fact. Mia now had the means to get revenge. She looked to the right of her waist, her brand new blutklinge was holstered to her belt.

She had strength, now was the time to embrace and use it.